Microbes: Invisible Invaders … Amazing Allies PFIZER INC

Pfizer Inc is a global, research-based health care company. Innovation has been the source of Pfizer’s growth for nearly 150 years. The venture that was founded in 1849 as a fine chemicals company in Brooklyn is today among the world’s leaders in discovering, developing, manufacturing and marketing pharmaceutical and other health care products.

Pfizer has a long history as a leader in anti-infective research. The small family-owned and operated company of the 19th century believed in innovation, which was the driving force then and certainly remains the driving force today. Innovation in research and development has resulted in many major milestones throughout the history of Pfizer.

The Mold that Changed the World

World War II created an urgent need for antibiotics. Despite Alexander Fleming’s 1928 discovery of penicillin’s bacteria-killing properties, all early efforts to mass-produce this first antibiotic in quantity had failed. When the U.S. government sought the help of American companies with experience in fermentation, Pfizer, at that time a small chemical company, responded.

While others concentrated on producing the antibiotic in one-liter flasks, Pfizer scientists revolutionized production, using first 50-gallon and then 10,000-gallon tanks. In June of 1944, when the Allied Forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, Pfizer provided 90 percent of the penicillin that they took ashore.

Spurred by this success in producing penicillin and by the advent of other antibiotics, Pfizer researchers began an intensive quest to find new organisms to fight disease. In 1950, Pfizer discovered their first pharmaceutical product-terramycin-which was found by analyzing 135,000 soil samples. This new antibiotic proved effective against more than 100 diseases. And this was only the beginning.

Another Pfizer First

In a Pfizer laboratory, in 1962, tetracycline became the first therapeutically superior drug to be made by chemical alteration of an antibiotic produced by microbial metabolism. Total synthesis of the drug was a formidable technical challenge. After its approval, tetracycline became the most prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotic in the U.S. within three years. It sparked a wide-scale search for superior, structurally modified antibiotics, which has led to most of the antibiotic discoveries made since then. Today, the company leads the way in developing leading antibiotic and antifungal compounds, continually to introduce new, innovative and life-changing medications.

The Next Generation of Scientists

Pfizer’s commitment to children and young adults is evidenced through their recent Pledge to the President’s Summit for America’s Future. Pfizer pledged $2 million in advanced pediatric medicines to be provided free of charge through the company’s pharmaceuticals access program, Sharing the Care. Pfizer pledged an additional $2 million in grants for children’s health programs such as The Children’s Health Fund and the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health.

Another wide-reaching and broad-based program, the Pfizer Education Initiative (PEI) reaches an estimated 21,000 students and 500 teachers annually. Combining a commitment of cash grants with substantial employee volunteerism, PEI reflects the company’s conviction that as a research-intensive company, we have a particular responsibility to help train the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Why Pfizer Sponsored MICROBES: INVISIBLE INVADERS… AMAZING ALLIES

At Pfizer, we are dedicated to the search for new cures and treatments that will improve–and even save people’s lives around the world. Our ability to win the next battles against infectious disease depends, in part, on a widespread understanding of the importance of medical research and its profound impact on human life.

Mike Kempf
(210) 599-0045
Mike@evergreenexhibitions.com

Source: Evergreen Exhibitions
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